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Cramps after T2

I'm a 15 year old competitive triathlete, and compete in short (Youth, 400m swim, 8km Bike and 6km run) races. Whenever I come out of T2 I end up getting a stitch, normally on both sides at the bottom of my ribs. This is painful, and slows my running down significantly. It eases up after a few kilometres, but by that time I have almost finished the race and am often left behind by the rest of the field. I hardly ever get a stitch during training, even if I run immediately after a bike ride. Do you have any advice to stop this from happening?

Comments

  • DDTTRIDDTTRI Posts: 21

    I get stich and its a bit hit and miss when I do. One thing I find that does help is making sure you are breathing deeply in through your nose as well as mouth. I don't know why but it makes it go away.

    Do you drink on the bike? cramp could be to much, it could be to little.

  • Thanks for the advice.

    I do not generally drink on the bike, as the distance is so short. I shall try both having a small drink and breathing through my nose.

  • Andrew4Andrew4 Posts: 190

    Sean - stitch can be caused by a cramp and fatigue of the intercostal muscles and diaphragm. It might be good to do some simple bodyweight exercises to focus on your core strength, i.e. planks, push ups and crunches (especially planks), if you aren't already doing them. This also has the benefit that it should make you more comfortable on the bike and help you hold your posture as you tire during the run. In any event as you mature and move up the distances having a strong core will be very important so it won't hurt to get a good baseline now.

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